An Aberdeen lecturer is hoping her virtual theatre will win her a slice of a £300,000 prize pot.
Jo-Anne Tait has made it through to the finals of Converge 2021, Scotland’s largest entrepreneurial development programme for the university sector.
Her technology company, Neosome, developed SeatViewer – an online app allowing people with access issues to see the view from any seat in any venue, helping them to plan-ahead by choosing the most appropriate seat for their needs.
Ms Tait, a lecturer in the Robert Gordon University (RGU) school of engineering, created her business in 2019 with friend and fellow lecturer Colin Hetherington, supported by the RGU Accelerator programme.
Mr Hetherington, died in June this year, aged 55, after being diagnosed with esophageal cancer.
Continued in honour of Mr Hetherington
Ms Tait, who is also carrying out postgraduate studies looking at the mental wellbeing of engineering students, said: “After Covid started to ease off Colin got his operation and we thought everything was well.
“In February, Converge came up and we thought let’s do this. Colin was feeling better and we had a few more people on board at that point.
“We got through to the semi-final but Colin sadly died on the first day of Converge.
“But I know he wanted us to keep going with it so, despite some of my other instincts, we continued with the programme and threw all our efforts into it which saw us get into the final.”
Ms Tait enlisted the help of Stuart Mitchell to stay in the competition.
She said: “We worked on loads of things and I asked why couldn’t we get a virtual theatre, where people turn up to watch a real performance together.
“We drilled that down into being able to show people where to sit and be comfortable again with going to venues.
“Ultimately, we are looking to have it so people can enter their seat number and row and see what it’s like.”
Almost market-ready
Ms Tait is thrilled to have made it to the final and looking to the future for Neosome.
She said: “We are not quite at market yet but just about there. We are working with RGU to see how we produce the product.
“We are still seeking more investment and help, but the next step is to get the first theatre on the go in next couple of months and show off what it can do.”
Strong showing from RGU
Ms Tait is guaranteed £2,000 for making it through to the final in the competition’s creative category.
But the winner will also walk away with £20,000, business support and follow-on programme assistance.
Fellow RGU student Barry Robertson, 35, has also made it through to the finals of the Creative Challenge with The Grey Hill, a multimedia technology company providing international audiences with accessible theatre content.
Former RGU student Lucy Fisher is in the running for an award with her innovative Knit It creation.
The digital service features knitting patterns, tools, tutorials and more.
Converge director Claudia Cavalluzzo said: “If you had any doubts about the strength of university-led innovation in Scotland, particularly given the setbacks of the last 18 months, then this year’s Converge finalists quickly dispel those.
“Despite all the odds, the quality, creativity and sheer ingenuity of their business ideas is nothing short of exceptional and should give us great hope – not just for our economy but for people and the planet too.”
The winners of the awards will be announced on September 30.
